Batman: The Sanctuary of Paradise
by Darkknight37
Summary: COMPLETED: Surviving Justice League Members, Lead by Batman, Flee to Themiscyra After The Earth is Conquered by the Forces of Apokalips...Lead by Superman.
1. Seeds of Retribution

BATMAN/WONDER WOMAN: THE SANCTUARY OF PARADISE

PART I: SEEDS OF RETRIBUTION

It has come to this.

The civil war on Apokalips had given the Justice League reason to believe that it's neighboring star

systems were in danger. J'onn and Batman determined through intelligence that one of the rival factions was preparing to leave Apokalips to invade one of the closer planets.

Superman led a team of original League members along with a few of the newer members to Apokalips. Our mission was to prevent the faction from leaving Apokalips for another planet. We opened a boomtube to an area where the faction was supposed to have gathered a small fleet. Our intelligence indicated to us that the rogue faction was already preparing to depart from Apokalips

We were wrong.

Darkseid had reemerged on Apokalips, already reunited the rival factions back into his own army. We were ambushed the moment we exited the boomtube, already taking casualties.

The massive battle that took place on Apokalips had weakened the stronger of the League members as the rest began to fall. The only founding member of the league who stood behind was Batman. The rest of the founding members along with the more powerful of the new members were needed for the mission.

Then Superman was captured.

For no longer than a few hours, Superman had been held captive before he returned to the battle ground. Our fading hopes were lifted when he showed himself again, however there was something different. He did not…look the same. Superman hovered over the battleground, not attacking any of Darkseid's minions. He seemed to have been waiting. What came next was the epitome of our worse fears:

Superman attacked us.

Darkseid's plot did not only employ the use of our ally against us. He was able to create clones of Superman, none as perfect as the original himself, but deadly enough to destroy the majority of the Justice League. We fought as best as we could, but we quickly became overwhelmed.

I radioed the Watchtower to warn them of the new threat, detailing to Batman of how our comrades were falling at a tremendous rate.

Batman quickly attempted to seek outside assistance from both New Genesis and the Green Lantern Corps. However, both declined to assist us since we went against intergalactic policy by deliberately interfering with the power struggle on Apokalips. Batman argued, as we had before, that if the Justice League did not take action, the devastation that would have occurred on Apokalips would no doubt have a ripple effect onto its neighboring systems.

Even the Green Lantern Corps refused to assist their own in John Stewart for playing a major role in the Justice League interference.

We had lost our allies.

I was able to fight along side the last of the League members on Apokalips when Barda came to our aid. Her husband Mr. Miracle had already been killed during the battle, however he left behind a plan to rescue as many of the League members off of their homeworld as possible.

When Barta had located me, I was one of the last three members along with Shayera and Supergirl. We fought side by side, ready to fight till our final breaths.

During our last stand, Supergirl at the hands of two of the Superman clones. Shayera's true warrior spirit had shined as she pressed harder after the fall of her comrade. She single handedly dispatched ten Parademons within five seconds of Supergirl's death.

As Barda arrived, we were being swarmed by countless Parademons. Barta immediately opened a boomtube behind us that lead directly to the Watchtower for us to retreat. Shayera was quickly killed as one of the clones flew behind her and snapped her neck.

In all of my life, I had never seen so many I've cared for fall in a single battle. I thanked Hera for giving me the strength to withstand the horror that filled my heart and the will to not concede in battle.

Barda tried to prevent me from staying to share the same fate as my comrades, telling me that I had to return to my home and prepare for what is surely to come. But I refused to leave the planet and pushed her aside to administer retribution to as many of Darkseid's minions as I could.

Like a rain that suddenly stops without warning, the forces of Apokalips halted. The flood of Darkseid's minions in front of Barda and I slowly began to part. They make way for Darkseid and their returning general.

Superman.

"How could you do this, Kal?" I should have known better than to ask.

Superman was under the control of Darkseid. Last time under his will, Superman destroyed much of Metropolis without mercy. If not for him overcoming his control, he would have caused much more. A cold gaze emitted from his eyes as I stared at him in a rage.

The man I knew was gone.

However in the heat of my anger, I foolishly continued to banter.

"What could Darkseid have to possibly off…?"

My unfinished question was answered as Superman sent a powerful concentration of heat vision through Barta's eyes.

She fell limp to the ground as the holes where here eyes once rested now were charred. Smoke emitted from her ears, nose and mouth as I stood in horror of what Superman had done.

"I offer you this, Amazon", Darkseid dared to speak. "Surrender yourself to us or suffer a fate worse than any of your Justice League companions."

My answer came as I picked up Barta's war axe and charged Darkseid ready to end his life. I immediately felt a thunderous blow strike me in my jaw, easily fracturing it. I fell to the ground as Superman stood over me in his new uniform of red and black. The S on his chest and been altered to a black outline with the inside portions of it red. His suit was a dark red tone that was reminiscent of the terrain of Apokalips. His cape was a pitch black, like an aura of death that followed him willingly.

Superman reached down with one hand and lifted me by my throat. He brought me to his eyes as they began to glow red, ready to end my life. I tried to struggle, but the fatigue mixed with the blow I took and his strength made it nearly impossible.

I looked into his eyes to see the monster that had become of my good friend. I tried to place my last thoughts away as I focused on my home.

"Mother, I…I'm sorry"

My last words were barely audible as Superman's grip tightened around my neck. I felt my arms begin to lose their grip around his arms, ready to go limp. Hera did not hear my silent plea for more strength.

Perhaps that was my time…

Then, I heard his voice.

"Diana!"

Superman's eyes stop glowing as he and Darkseid look to the still opened boomtube. The voice of my comrade shouts orders to another comrade as they come through the boomtube. Batman and Captain Atom arrive wasting no time.

"Bat…" I struggle through Superman's grip.

Captain Atom fires two energy blasts, each heading for the overlords of Apokalips. Superman releases his grip as he was struck near his eyes, Darkseid the same. Batman used the moment to attack the stunned Superman by breaking a vile over Superman's face. Superman screamed in pain as he fell to the ground clutching his face. I feel Batman put his arms around me as he firmly spoke to me.

"Can you walk?"

I can barely answer as he quickly assessed the situation. I felt him pick me up and sling me over his shoulder. He began to run when I heard him say something else.

"Atom move!"

As Batman raced for the boomtube, I could hear Darkseid's anger rise with his voice.

"You will all burn…"

The next thing I hear is a powerful energy blast and Captain Atom's scream of agony. Batman and I returned to the Watchtower as the boomtube closes in time before we hear Captain Atom detonate on the battle field of Apokalips.

* * *

"Diana…"

I hear a voice call me, it's distant but it's there.

"We have to get moving…"

I begin to open my eyes as Batman hovers over me. I hear the engines of a Javelin behind me as I realize I'm in his cave. Sitting up, I see that it was not a Javelin, but two of Batman's planes, his normal one and a larger plane. They were indeed ready for takeoff on two of the landing platforms inside of the cave. The larger of the two planes looks like a transport vessel.

"Why are we here?" I ask.

"The Watchtower and everyone inside were destroyed", Batman says to me. "We're leaving."

I look to see Nightwing and Batgirl scrambling as they load both planes with cargo. They both have looks of fear and anger on their faces, but neither as bad as Batman's.

"How did this happen?"

"Darkseid's fleet appeared in Earth's orbit from a boomtube", Batman said. "The shield of the Watchtower gave almost everyone an opportunity to evacuate, but we were attacked by the clones of Superman. They breached the hull and began killing everyone inside. I was able to…stop one of them and evacuate you off the Watchtower before it was destroyed."

The look on his face shows he did far more than he ever intended to do as the Batman.

"Has there been any contact from anyone?" I ask quickly changing the subject

"No."

Then I notice that my jaw is no longer injured. I could not have been out that long. I also notice something strapped to my arm.

"How did my…?"

"It's a Mother Box", Batman says as he sees me expecting my jaw. "She healed your wounds."

The Mother Box is something I remember from our mission to New Genesis. Orion and most of the warriors from New Genesis wore these living computers. I then notice that Batman, Nightwing and Batgirl are equipped with Mother Boxes themselves.

"How did you get these?"

"Our last trip to New Genesis", he said stepping back. "I don't have time to explain. Dick and Barbara are getting ready. We have to go. "

I do not know Batman's protégés very well, but I was aware of two other people who are usually at his side.

They are not here.

"Where are Alfred and Tim?"

Batman stares at me for a moment, obviously struggling with what to say. He simply turns his back and heads for one of the planes.

"Let's go."

Batman grabs a case to take aboard his plane. There are other cases piled in front of the cargo plane. They look as though they store some type of equipment, slightly similar to the containers used on the Watchtower. I notice that a few very large ones have yet to be loaded. Seeing everyone's hurried pace, I quickly stand up and fly toward the larger cases. I land in front of one that stands at least four feet taller than me, looks to be just as wide.

"What are in these cases?"

"These are all emergency kits ready for evacuation if I ever had to relocate", Batman said coming out of the plane. "A main computer, lab equipment, rations, weapons, etc."

I lift the large case with ease and quickly carry it into the plane. My feet clang against the metal ramp as I hear Batgirl behind me.

"Put it over here, Diana" I hear Batgirl say.

Batman obviously designed this plane for transporting this equipment. The ground has indentations that are perfect matches for each of the cases they have been loading. I walk this large case over to the indention Batgirl directed me to, carefully placing it in its spot. As I set it in, a metal latch came from the wall behind it and secured it.

"The magnet on the bottom sets it in place and sends a signal to lock it in", Batgirl said securing another case. "Can you get the other four?"

"Of course", I say to her.

I quickly fly out of the plane to retrieve the other cases. It was easy to tell that Batgirl was struggling terribly with what was on her mind. The dire situation that faces us all is enough to make her react as she does, even more so.

The walls of the cave begin to violently shake as the security alarms sounds. Batman quickly runs out of the cargo plane and runs to the main computer in the cave. He is quickly striking the keys as more tremors cause rock and debris to fall from the cave's ceiling. I use pick up my pace as I load the second case.

"Dick, Barbara", I hear Batman shout as I fly the next case into the cargo plane. "Get ready for takeoff!"

"Roger", I hear Nightwing say.

As I come out of the cargo plane, Nightwing and Batgirl climb into the smaller of the two aircrafts. Batman is still working as a large rock from the roof crashes down onto the giant dinosaur that once stood in the cave. The dust fills the cave as I load the third of the last cases.

Batman finishes working on the computer as another thunderous tremor drops more debris onto the ground. The empty display cases where his costumes once stood began to open, parting down the middle and revealing a hallway behind them. Batman runs from the computer and enters the hallway as an opening in the ground exposes itself. From the opening, a large container is lifted from the underneath. The container looked like a box that would be too heavy for Batman to lift by himself.

After loading the last case, I fly towards him.

"What is this?" I asked Batman as he worked on a keyboard in front of the large container.

"Our best chance", he says as the case opens.

What comes out is something I knew he always had. I just did not know how much exactly. The green glow emanating from the case's contents cause me to half-close my eyes for a moment. Batman checks the contents and closes up the case once again.

"Fifty-four pounds will be more than enough", he says as he looks at me. "Would you mind…?"

He gets up quickly and heads back for the plane. I pick up the case and fly it towards the ship as well. I enter the cargo hold, already moving to secure the case. Batman walks in behind me and makes for the cockpit. I hear the engines roar as I assume the co-pilot's chair. The ceiling of the cave begins to collapse, destroying everything that Batman had built.

The look on his face showed no signs of loss, only calm and a sense of preservation.

"Seismic readings are getting stronger", Batman said over the com-link. "You two take off, we're right behind…"

The smaller aircraft lifts from the platform, rotating to exit the cave. As Nightwing and Batgirl exit the hangar area, the floor of the cave erupts. Rocks and debris fill the space, making it almost impossible to see. The dust clears in time to allow us to see the cause of the tremors. Emerging from the hole is the dark leader of Darkseid's army: Superman.

I will not allow Superman to stop Batman and those he cares for.

"You must go", I tried to say as I unfastened my safety belt. "I will stay and…"

Without missing a beat, Batman hits a button on the console that had been flashing since I sat down. I could see a far wall open as Superman appeared to smile at us. What demented pleasure Superman thought he was going to enjoy was suddenly halted as the entire cave was filled with red light. Bright red lights emitted from countless lamps strategically placed around the entire cave.

Superman looked around enraged as he turned his attention back to us.

"Simulated Kryptonian red sun", Batman simply said as the plane lifted off of the ground.

I see Superman want to make a move for us, but is slowed by the light.

"Will it kill him?" I ask.

"If that doesn't, then something else will get its chance."

A laser blast that came from opening in the far wall hits Superman in his back, followed by a quick blur that strikes at him and pins him to the ground.

"Let's go."

The plane lifted off the ground and exited the opening of the cave as I look at Batman dumbfounded.

"Was that a...?"

Batman piloted towards the sky calmly as answered.

"One of the Superman androids developed by S.T.A.R. Labs", Batman said. "They were commissioned to stand in for Superman if he were ever off world. I built a model based on their designs and modified it a bit."

I look at the monitor on the console to see Superman battle his android doppelganger, which is wearing his original colors.

Batman continues to pilot as I look up from the monitor. We see the other plane Nightwing and Batgirl are piloting as the radar picks up heat signatures from behind us.

"We've got incoming", Batman says as his face scowls. "Nightwing get ready to teleport."

The heat signatures were getting closer to our position over Gotham's waters. We now fly over Gotham City and I am horrified as it now lies in ruins. The feeling that overtook me was strong, but not as strong as the feeling I knew rested inside of my dear friend.

Batman is punching in coordinates into his navigation system when I look to him again.

"Bruce, where are we going?"

"We're going to need all of the help we can", Batman said. "Darkseid has already launched an attack on Atlantis, so we can't go there to regroup."

The destination is obvious to me now.

"We have to go to Themiscrya."


	2. Hopes of Belief

PART II: HOPE OF BELIEF

During the few years that I have known him, Batman has made no attempt to conceal his stubborn nature. I recall countless times when helping hands and advice had been offered to him, only to be rejected most of the time. During times of crisis, his stubbornness had a tendency to shine like it never had.

These last two days, it has been no different.

We arrived here on Themiscrya two days ago as man's world was being destroyed. Batman knew that we could not act prematurely if we were to succeed. Despite heated protests from Nightwing, Batman was able to make his point that rushing off into battle would only mean a complete loss of Earth.

As Batman, Nightwing and Batgirl tended to each of their minor injuries sustained before our escape, I sought out my mother.

* * *

"Man's world is truly at its end", mother says to me. "The will of one man and two of his followers will only do so much."

I stand with my mother on a large dune overlooking the beach where Batman has set up camp. The sun is shining as bright as ever, oblivious to the atrocities taking place elsewhere on this world. The cool breeze coming off the coast brushes through my hair as I squint towards the two ships.

The warmth of this near-perfect day offers no comfort as the chill in my heart remains.

"Mother", I begin still staring down. "I apologize for abruptly arriving like this."

"You are no longer banished from Themiscrya", she says sternly. "Do not speak of such nonsense, this is your home."

I can hear it in her voice. She is sympathetic for what has happened to man's world, but she is also concerned. She must know that I will help my friends to the bitter end if I must.

"You have done all you could for them", she says to me. "You have battled along side them, fought for their ideals. You have done your part and doing so almost cost you your life countless times. You are a brave warrior Diana, but you must understand that Batman's quest is to seek a retribution that he cannot obtain."

I look even further downward, only to be stopped by my closing eyes. Mother's words have always been wise, however I have not always agreed with them.

"Mother, I cannot let him and those he cares for charge into battle without me at their side", I say with my eyes still closed. "Had he not intervened on Apokalips, I would have been killed by Superman. He also escaped from the Watchtower with my unconscious body back to his home to prepare. That is twice he has saved my life during this crisis. Now he fights for a cause he has sworn to fight for ever since he was child."

"He has lost so much in his life, Diana", mother says. "Mortals' fear of loss drives them down dark paths, most from which there is no return. He will only cause you death, Diana. The path he now travels will lead to his end."

"I won't allow it", I sternly say with a loud whisper. "His loss causes him to fight more for selfless reasons that is unlike anyone on man's world. The two down there with him believe in him. Their hope is measured in the amount of fight in their hearts, mother. They only fail if they choose to do nothing."

I can feel my mother forming more words.

"Diana, I know you care for them. Possibly in ways that I can never understand, but you must understand that their home is gone. When they return to their decimated land, they will only suffer the same fate as their friends and loved ones."

Mother is probably right. However, that does not change anything, my mind is already made up.

"If that is their fate, so will it be mine."

I continue to stare away from mother as silence overtakes us. Out of respect, I turn to meet my mother's eyes again. The look on her face strikes me as a look of mixed feelings. The sadness in her demeanor is obvious, but there is a hint that she may actually be…proud.

"Diana, you have always done for others without asking for anything in return", she says to me as she places her hand on my cheek. "Every time you had disobeyed me, it was so you were able to help those in need. During the wars I fought in, those who I have survived with were very near to me. However with immortality came the opportunity to enjoy the simple company of those I cared for any time I saw fit."

Using a reaction I learned on man's world, I raised my eyebrow in confusion.

"Mortals do not have the luxury of time on their side, Diana. Like everything else that does not last, you must cherish them. I believe I understand your feelings quite a bit more now."

"What do you mean?" I ask.

Mother turns her attention back to Batman's camp at the bottom of the dune.

"A mortal he may be", mother began. "However mortals rarely share the same qualities as he does. For a man who walks amongst mortals of great power, the Batman proves his worth over theirs on a regular basis. From the stories you tell me yourself, he may have been the most powerful amongst your Justice League."

I follow mother's look back towards Batman and the others.

"We would have been lost without him", I say. "We would have fallen on many occasions without his wit and tactics. Everyone followed his lead despite his attempts to remain in the shadows. Mother, without him…"

"I would not be talking to my daughter right now", she finishes for me.

Mother walks in front of me, grabbing my hands with hers. She clenches them as I would imagine a mother would do to comfort her child. Mother looks up at me with a far more obvious look of pride.

"Diana, in life or in death…Themiscrya will always be your home."

She clenches my hand once more, and then releases them as she takes a step back.

"But now your place is at his side. I have always had my suspicions, but now they are clear. You two were destined to share the same fate from the beginning of your partnership within the Justice League. So many times have a mortal and an immortal shared the same fate. But now, it is _my_ daughter who is destined to be at the side of a mortal."

Mother looks back at the camp one more time then back to me as I remain speechless.

"If I had to, I could not have chosen a mortal that is more worthy to stand at your side, Diana."

* * *

"Those are very impressive, Bruce", I say as Dick and Barbara adjust their new suits.

"Yeah, they're great…" Barbara says as she inspects her suit. "But it really doesn't leave much to the imagination."

I hear Dick snicker as Barbara runs her hands up and down the front of her suit. Bruce designed the material to adhere directly to the body of the person it was designed for, even more so than their original costumes. Dick's is just as tight-fitting as well. I can't help but notice the embarrassment on his face when I look at him.

We are all standing in the camp area as Batman makes technical adjustments to new suits he designed. He told us that he had designed a suit for himself when the time came for his physical abilities to diminish. After the Thanagarians invaded Earth, Bruce said he designed suits for Dick, Barbara and Tim.

Tim and Alfred…

I still see the pain in their eyes. Dick and Barbara try to enjoy their moments together as much as possible. I hear large amounts of laughter coming from them both. Every night when I check on them, they fall asleep in each other's arms in front of the campfire.

I even caught them crying together a few times.

Bruce had secluded himself inside the cargo plane every night, working in complete silence. When I did decide to intrude on him, he did not turn me away. One night he spoke of Tim's death, how he was patrolling the streets of Gotham by himself. Tim was killed as he saved a family from two Parademons. From what Bruce knew, Tim's abilities were rounded enough to handle the situation. However the destructive nature of the Parademons' attack forced him to protect innocents by sacrificing his own life.

Tim Drake died a hero's death.

A warrior's death.

Today we have planned our strategy against Darkseid.

"From the last few satellites we have in orbit", Batman said sitting at the portable computer console and tinkering with Barbara's utility belt. "Darkseid is currently in what used to be the center of Metropolis. Our Mother Boxes can open a boom tube directly inside his stronghold."

Bruce hands Barbara her belt as he turns to work on Dick's.

"Metropolis is patrolled by over forty-thousand Parademons that the satellite could count", Batman continued. That's not counting ground forces and any troops inside the stronghold."

"Stealth", Dick said.

"Exactly", Batman said. "The Mother Boxes can shield our whereabouts from both electronic detection and telepathy. What they can't do is make us invisible. The suits I designed have cloaking devices, but the effect doesn't last very long. We will use those sparingly and only when necessary."

"What's more necessary than hiding from thousands of Darkseid's kill-squad?" Barbara sarcastically asked.

"When we'll need to use them to get close enough to Darkseid…and kill him."

The looks on Dick and Barbara's faces showed how little they grasped of the situation. I knew that Bruce had killed a clone of Superman on the Watchtower, and I know he intends to kill again if he is to save the diminishing number of humans on Earth.

Bruce is no longer a crime fighter, he is a soldier.

"Its war, you two", Bruce says to them. "In order to save what's left of this planet, we're all going to have to go against most of our principles."

"I know, Bruce", Dick said. "It's just…I've never expected anything like that to come from your mouth."

"Right now the only expectation is to succeed", Bruce said as he tossed Dick's belt to him.

"What about Superman?" Barbara asked.

Bruce scowled as he turned back to the computer.

"From what I can tell, he's leading a large percentage of Darkseid's forces across Eastern Asia. He's sweeping westward towards Europe, then most likely back towards North America. He's already decimated Australia in less than two weeks. I give him just under two months before he's finished the entire eastern hemisphere.

"All we need is one day."

Dick's body language showed that he was not convinced by Bruce's plan.

"So how do we kill Darkseid then?" Dick asked. "He can go toe-to-toe with Superman, what chance do WE have?"

Dick saying 'we' obviously pertained to Bruce, Barbara and himself. He knew that I possessed enough strength to defeat Darkseid, however he also knows there is a chance I could fall in battle before we even reach Darkseid.

I'm glad Bruce was always thinking ahead.

"Diana…" Bruce motioned to me.

Over my shoulder, a large knapsack rested across my back. I pulled it over to present to the three of them, it containing three items Bruce hand-made himself.

"What are these?" Barbara asked as I lay down the knapsack on one of the benches.

"Our means", Bruce simply said.

Dick untied the rope keeping the knapsack together. Undoing the wrapping, he uncovered three sheathed swords made by Bruce. Dick and Barbara each selected the ones with their insignia across the sheath.

"Katanas..?" Dick asked as he inspected his sheathed sword.

"Katanas", Bruce answered.

Barbara followed Dick's lead in confusion.

"You know Bruce", Dick says as he slowly unsheathed his sword. "If YOU can easily kick my tail whether if I used this or not, what makes you think…"

As Dick spoke, his hand slowly makes its way to touching the steel of sword.

"Don't touch the blade", Bruce sternly said.

"Yeah, I get it", Dick says in a fed up tone. "It's not good Samurai karma if I do."

"It's more than you think, Dick", I say to them both. "The swords you hold have been blessed with magical powers by the Gods. They will aid us on our mission."

Dick raises his eyebrow to me as Barbara looks at her sword in confusion. I can tell Dick has taken a lot from Bruce as time has gone by, it shows in his lack of patience.

"So, Bruce of the Argonauts, how did you pull this one off?"

I can't believe I'm actually seeing Bruce smile to Dick's comment.

"Connections."

* * *

Bruce had decided that we would wait till the morning before we made our advance. I was able to visit mother one more time before I departed. During our time on the island, Dick and Barbara finished their two-week training with their new suits. Bruce seems satisfied with how well they have been able to adapt to them. Their swordsmanship was never in question as Dick and Barbara only retraced their training steps.

I chose to wait through the night with Bruce, Dick and Barbara. In front of two massive tents, a peaceful fire burned as we sat around it on blankets over the sandy beach. It had been more peaceful for the past ten minutes since Bruce made Dick put away his…'harmonica' was it?

I am in awe as Bruce has allowed himself to enjoy this peaceful moment. Normally he would bury himself in preparation and strategy. The look in his eyes tonight only suggests that his human side is dominant over his Batman persona.

Everyone is in their comfortable evening wear before they slept for the night. Earlier when we first sat down, Bruce briefly went over the plan for tomorrow. Since then, Dick had done his best to lighten the mood by telling stories when he and Bruce patrolled Gotham together. The way he spoke was like a barely-matured adult recalling his favorite childhood moments. Barbara and I found ourselves laughing out loud as Bruce even added a few chuckles himself.

However, I finally understand Bruce's reasoning for tonight.

And it saddens me.

He knows that the odds are against us. Bruce is allowing himself perhaps one final chance to enjoy a happy moment. He is here with the only family he has left. Dick and Barbara have lost their families as well, making the three of them the only family they have. I sit on an island with my mother and countless sisters, and I chose to leave them willingly.

I wonder if they think me a fool for abandoning my family, or think of me as someone who chooses to make a sacrifice.

It does not matter, however.

Their last attempt at joy tonight proves to me that my choice is unintentionally irrelevant.

Time passes, and finally Dick makes the first move.

"Come on, Babs", he says taking a hold of Barbara's hand. "Let's call it a night. We got a busy day tomorrow."

His charm seems to make her forget the potential final time they are having together. She seems as determined as he is to make tonight mean as much as possible together.

They both rise as Bruce and I do as well. Barbara walks over to Bruce quickly, holding him in an embrace as I hear her sob in his chest. Bruce wraps his arms around her as Dick looks on with a sad look himself. Barbara continues to sob as Bruce attempts to comfort her.

"I know", he simply says. "But we still have work to do, Barbara."

Barbara looks up at him, eyes red with tears. Bruce gently looks at her with confident eyes that could encourage the direst of spirits. Barbara tries to smile as she rubs at her nose.

"They won't know what hit'em", she sobs with a smile.

She walks back to Dick, who looks at both Bruce and I with a nod, as they retire to their tent for the night. Bruce watches them enter their tent and seal it, I stand next to him looking on as well.

"Hope is what gives them strength", I say.

"That makes them the strongest people on this island", Bruce responds without looking back.

We retake our seats in front of the fire. Bruce sits in total peace as the fire gently burns, giving us warmth from the cool air. Bruce drinks from his cup of ice water as he looks up to the stars. He must be far warmer than I.

We sat in a peaceful silence for almost ten minutes until he spoke.

"When I was five, my father took me camping once."

He is telling a story from his childhood? I don't act surprised for the fact that I could potentially scare him off like a wild animal.

"What was it like?" I ask.

"My mother stayed behind, she wasn't an outdoors person", he continues. "She prepared our food for us before we left, making sure we had everything we needed. My father always teased her for doing things for us that we could easily do for ourselves, saying that she spoiled us. She was always doing things like that for us, the boys. She knew that even if we did a great job making our own food, we'd hate it. Or anything for that matter, we loved her touch on everything."

Bruce added a chuckle to his story as I hung on every word.

"We drove three hours to the private section of a campsite my father owned. The grounds were public with running water, functioning bathrooms, electricity and even a number of luxury cabins. But my father was a rugged outback type of guy, ever since his college years. He hated everything that the public grounds had, always saying 'that is not camping'.

"My father used to camp and hike in northern Utah every summer, not long before I was born. He enjoyed every one of those getaways with old college friends, even meeting my mother during one of the retreats. I think he said that was the last time she had gone that long without electricity."

I laugh as he laughs telling his story.

"We stayed for three nights", Bruce continues. "He wasn't sure I would be able to do a whole week my first time out, but he was very proud with how I held myself."

I flash Bruce a questioning smirk.

"Oh, don't get me wrong, I missed the heck out of TV."

Being around Flash enough will teach you differentiate good jokes from the bad ones, and Bruce Wayne is notorious for bad jokes. Therefore I roll my eyes accordingly.

"We hiked everyday, swam and fished in the lake. Everyday we caught enough fish for our lunch and dinner. I remember almost vomiting when my father gutted the first fish in front of me without warning. It tasted good after we cooked it, though."

I add another chuckle.

"One day we rode a bike trail for six hours, that's when we got lost. I look back and figure that my father got us lost on purpose, hoping to instill some sort of discipline that I couldn't get at home. I made him proud that night as I calmly helped him find our way back. He rewarded me with a candy bar that he brought from home, but I shared it with him.

"Every night, my father let me help him make the fire. He always told me 'Bruce, if you want to enjoy the fire, you have to respect it'. It was the first time I learned to create something that I could be proud of and fear at the same time. My father always told me that fear was another form of respect, especially when it came to nature."

Bruce stands up and reaches for the stick he had been using to adjust the logs in the fire. He stands with his back to me as he works the fire and continues to speak.

"When we came home that weekend, I couldn't wait to go back", Bruce says. "My father was so happy that I enjoyed myself as much as I did. He was afraid that the life I lived on a daily basis would make me adopt the same view my mother had. But I think deep down he knew that I was made for the outdoors. My father set up for us to go camping again after an overseas meeting with one of the major companies interested with merging Wayne Enterprises in Scotland.

"But he had to cancel when the business began to really blossom. It was almost three years later when we finally made plans again for another camping trip. I was eight years old that summer."

Bruce goes quiet as I fold my legs, holding them together against my body.

"That was the summer my parents were killed", Bruce says as his voice slightly cracks. "Just a couple of weeks before our camping trip…"

Bruce stabs at the fire a few times intently then retakes his spot on the blanket.

"I remember the day I learned about your parents", I say to him. "It was during the time I stood behind on the Watchtower when everyone was tracking the Joker in Las Vegas. I was looking up information on the Joker, his history, criminal background, and anything else I could find on him. I must have lost myself while researching because I found myself looking up your name."

I look over to see Bruce looking at me, although still obviously lost in his own thoughts.

"I can honestly say I never knew what had happened to you", I continue. "I did not know what made you become the Batman. The theory I had was that you were just a concerned citizen with the proper resources to make a difference. I knew that you were not a thrill seeker, Hera help me had I ever questioned you with such."

I hear an amused huff come from him.

"Knowing all of this forced me to understand the fierce approach you took with us. You were a man without powers who was among the powerful. Yet, you did not allow that to make you any less important. In fact, you have proven yourself to be the most important member of us all."

I look at the fire as I continue to grasp my legs.

"Every time you came off as harsh to anyone, I would defend you", I continue. "Anytime your methods were questioned, I would remind them we would not be this far without you. My belief in you was worn for everyone to see, even now I still believe in you."

I turn to him and shift my body so that I am resting on my knees. My eyes are level to him as he still sits on the same blanket as I.

"When we accomplish our goals tomorrow, and the countless days after, I will always believe in you and I…"

I understand what my mother was saying to me, my heart truly desires this.

"…and I will always love you."

* * *

I wake up as the dawning sun makes its first glow onto the morning sky. The sheets cover my bare body as the cool breeze comes in from the screened window that was opened before I was awake. Then I realize that the space where he slept next to me was empty. It takes me seconds to remember what had happened the night before, and I smile with every ounce of pride I can muster. Never in my life could I imagine the gratification of physically expressing my feelings in such a way.

I want to raise my arms and shout to the heavens.

Instead, I stretch with my smile never weighing. I know what is to come today, however I allow myself to enjoy this moment for as long as I possibly can. I

I sit up ready to face the day, only to find my outfit at the foot of the bed. I am used to walking around nude in private, and I'm sure anyone daring to look inside this tent knowing I'm in here has already seen me nude. I stand up with my bare body exposed as I walk towards the armor.

Obviously Bruce decided to lay out my attire for me as he performed his morning rituals. I smile more as I find a rose resting across the blade of my sword. I almost laugh as I realize that he had this flower with him the whole time, with the intent of using it somehow.

It takes me no more than a minute to apply my armor, along with one the Mother Boxes Bruce obtained for us. I wrap the belt that attaches my sword to myself last as I whisper silent prayers. My smile is gone now, replaced with the face that I have used before every major battle.

I exit the tent to see Dick, Barbara and Bruce waiting for me. They are all in full uniform with their swords worn on their backs. The looks of pain and despair show no signs of ever being on their face before. In Barbara's eyes, I see an angered focus on what is to be done. Dick has this face as well.

But Bruce, it amazes me how different the transition is from Bruce to Batman. To some, the persona of Batman is frightening to the very core. His mere presence at this moment proves those points of view to be very true.

"It's time", Batman says.

A boom tube opens behind them on the shore of the beach. Nightwing and Batgirl turn to face it as Batman approaches me.

"Do you still believe?" he says stopping in front of me.

My smile returns thinking of our night together.

"More than ever."


	3. Tears of Victory

Chapter 3: Tears of Victory

Exiting the boomtube, the four of us freeze in our tracks. We arrive directly in the center of what used to be Metropolis Olympic Stadium. The stadium is decimated, leaving much of the structure lying in ruins. There appears to be none of Darkseid's minions in the area, however I'm puzzled because we were to arrive near Darkseid's stronghold.

"So where's the front door?" I hear Nightwing ask.

"Darkseid's complex is protected by an energy field that protects against any form of teleportation", Batman says. "I had to calculate a safe point until I figure out an alternate course of action."

Batgirl and I look at each other as we notice the subtle irregularity in the space around us. She must have that odd taste in her mouth as well.

"Eww, what is up with the air here?" she asks. "Can't you guys taste that?"

Batman looks at us as Nightwing notices the taste in his mouth as well.

"We're in the middle of a radioactive neutral zone", he says.

Before any of us can react, he speaks again.

"Don't worry. Your mother boxes are protecting you. The taste in your mouth is the decontaminate at work."

Batman reaches into his belt and retrieves a small box. After pressing a button, the box emits a three-dimensional holographic depiction of what downtown Metropolis looks like now. I'm amazed as bright red outlines of vehicles and soldiers of Darkseid's army are also included in the image. Batman must have sensors placed around the city to give him this information.

"This is a real time hologram of the compound in the center of Metropolis", Batman says as he adjusts the image.

"And how are we seeing this?" Batgirl asks.

"I installed four transmitters in the surrounding areas well before we formed the Justice League. I have been working on this mapping device afterward."

"Oh…" Batgirl says with a hint of sarcasm.

"As I was saying, the compound is surrounded by swarms of Darkseid's forces. This map shows that the structure itself is perfectly defended against any head-on attack that the four of us could make. We can't even burrow from the underground up as the foundation is perfectly designed."

"From above?" Nightwing asks

"No", Batman answers. "Who knows what kind of anti-aerial weaponry they'll have. It's too risky. Also we wouldn't last long with a direct attack. We need the element of surprise"

Batgirl gives off a huff of air as she stares at the hologram some more.

"Then what…?"

Batman stands quietly for a moment, obviously changing his plan.

"We'll go here", Batman says as the map changes again. "This is a Wayne Enterprises storage facility two miles south of Darkseid's complex. According to this image, the facility is relatively unscathed. I have a special bunker inside the building for any…unexpected trips to Metropolis."

The hologram shows that the area surrounding the storage facility is patrolled by a large number of Darkseid's army.

"Why is it important that we reach this facility?" I ask.

We all look up from the map to look at Batman again.

"We have to get inside Darkseid's compound", he starts. "Unfortunately we don't have the luxury of being able to break in by any means, so we have to get them to open the doors."

Nightwing and Batgirl's body language show a great deal of alarm, and impatience. From what I can tell, Nightwing is the worse when it comes to lack of patience. He stands with his arms folded like a child being disciplined, almost like how Flash used to.

"How do we do that, send them a telegram?" Nightwing sighs.

The man is almost smiling again.

"Something like that…"

* * *

We have avoided countless troops as we trekked through of miles and miles of debris in what used to be the great city of Metropolis. Batman is leading us to his old storage facility that doubled as a base whenever he operated in Metropolis. We've done a tremendous job avoiding confrontations with any of Darkseid's troops. We cut it close a few times as the debris under our feet nearly gave away our positions. I chose not to fly because the others could not do the same without their jet-propulsion suits drawing attention with the noise.

Batman had yet to develop a silent mode for them.

It would also be a risk if a naked eye were to spot me if I carried everyone myself. I easily could, but patience is vital. Batman feels that our probability for success would be higher by traveling on foot.

Thankfully, our Mother Boxes have protected us from any radar or sensors placed around the area. Batman quickly showed us that we don't even appear on his three dimensional map.

After nearly two hours of stealth movement, we arrive at the facility. We stop on a collapsed building just south of our destination, the rubble giving us a high ground to observe the area. The facility itself seems to be unattended, but there is a platoon of troops just east of it. From my count, there are probably three dozen ground troops accompanied by three large tanks.

We find a spot to lay low to avoid being spotted.

"This is like a bad movie…" I hear Nightwing complain.

"I need to get inside", Batman says. "The three of you stay here, I'm going d…"

As Batman speaks to us, an explosion occurs on the ground. The three tanks that once stood were now engulfed in flames as the number of ground soldiers had diminished greatly.

"I think someone beat us here", Batgirl says.

I look down to see nothing around the area, but I do see Batman in the corner of my eye giving hand signals. He holds up his arm with his hand wide open then motions it down. The three of us nod as we move to spread away from our sitting position. We look back to him as he leaps down from his spot onto sturdy ground. We follow him in our own respective positions, landing on sturdy ground as well.

"Switch to infrared sensors", I hear Batman say in my ear.

I blink my eyes rapidly four times to activate the infrared in the contact lenses Batman supplied me. The infrared is showing me nothing in the area, just the heat from the fire surrounding the area.

"Move for the back of the building", I hear Batman again.

Deactivating my lenses, I make for the back of the building, hovering over the ground rather than walking to avoid causing any additional noise. The others are trained in the art of stealth, but we amazons are not the most silent of combatants.

I arrive to see the three already huddled together with Batman bringing up the holographic map.

"I saw nothing", I quietly say as I join them.

"Neither did we", Nightwing says.

The map is now indicating the destruction that just occurred in the area, even showing that none of the ground troops survived the blasts.

"The blast couldn't have killed these soldiers", Batman says as he points at certain bodies shown on the map. "Something or someone is out there."

"You are right, Batman."

We all look up to see a figure hovering above us.

"And I'm pleased to see the four of you have managed to survive the initial attack."

The voice is recognized as the figure comes into view.

"J'onn!" I say as an appropriate feeling of joy overcomes me.

J'onn lands on the ground, the four of us surround him as Batman is the first to greet him. However his joy is not present as he draws his sword and quickly brings it to J'onn's throat.

"How long have you been following us?" Batman asks.

"What are you doing?" I ask as I jump to J'onn's side.

I am not surprised to see both Nightwing and Batgirl draw their swords as well, the look on their faces show as little trust as Batman's does.

"How long?" Batman says even firmer as J'onn keeps his composure.

I look from Batman back to J'onn.

"Since you arrived inside of the stadium", J'onn says.

I draw my sword as well and place it to his back. I have questions of my own.

"How do we know you are who you say you are?" I demand as I understand Batman's concern.

Batman and I push our blades a bit harder onto J'onn, causing him to give off a familiar growl. However, that growl is foreign to the J'onn we know. Before I could plunge my blade through his back as I recognize him to be the fraud that he is, Batman quickly brings his sword down and cuts off one of the imposter's legs.

It falls to the ground as it morphs into its true form. The imposter has been revealed as one of the clones created in Superman's likeness. Batman quickly reaches into his pouch and reveals a small blade that he supplied to each one of us, a blade that injects a form of liquid Kryptonite. He punctures it into the shoulder blade of the clone, the Kryptonite allowing an easy penetration.

The clone's cries of agony are cut short as it visually begins to lose energy. Its screaming is replaced by moaning as Batman searches it. Batman finds a transmitter in its ear similar to ours.

"This is one of ours", he says. "They're tracking us."

The fire from the explosion continues to blaze as the four of us assume an immediate defensive stance. If we were being tracked, then we could be surrounded by now.

"Move", Batman firmly says.

He takes the lead and fires a grapple to the top of the building, Nightwing and Batgirl doing the same. They rise from the ground where I remain to ensure they reach the roof without incident. The three reach the roof and I fly up to meet them, I see Batman with his map already out scanning the area.

"So now what?" Nightwing says looking over the ledge of the roof.

"Tell me this place has one of those Bond villain doomsday weapons", Barbara says looking down the sinkhole on the roof.

Batman answers by silently motioning the three of us to his side. We crouch around him as he shuts off his map. He then brings his hands up and begins to use American Sign Language to communicate with Nightwing and Batgirl. They nod and remove the communicators from their ears and give them to him. They turn to me and I do the same, although I'm only used to spelling out letters individually with sign language.

Batman takes his out as well and checks to make sure all of them are still activated, then he turns for that large sinkhole and leaps down into the building.

Nightwing, Batgirl and I sit silently, neither one of us willing to admit yet that we're trying to figure out what Batman is trying to do.

I never did get used to how Batman succeeded in being a valuable member of the Justice League, if not most valuable, without having any special powers. The myth of his abilities is losing its credibility the more I am around Dick and Barbara.

We sit on the roof of a heavily damaged building in the middle of a city destroyed and ruled by an overlord from another planet. Yet, these two individuals no older than the Flash sit calmly, focused on the task at hand. The will in their eyes is only bested by Batman himself. I was right when I told mother he gave these two a belief that anything can be accomplished.

I am a believer as well.

A grapple fires from the hole, landing on the ground next to it. Batman immediately leaps up from within, landing next to us.

"We've got one chance", he quickly and quietly tells us. "I hooked up the communicators to the computer and the signal sources are being bounced around the city, but it won't take them long to figure out the real source. We wait two minutes then we make for the ground. That should clear any direct tracking that has been trailing us."

* * *

We arrive within a mile of Darkseid's fortress. It stands higher than any skyscraper that ever stood in Metropolis. It used to be Darkseid's main ship, however it doubled as a base when landed on a foreign planet. Here, it is his home. I can now see the very top of it as we get closer to it. The pollution along with the night hid it very well. The soot in the air mixed with the unforgiving humidity has made every inch of my exposed body filthy.

We stop as a tank with a large number of troops can be seen from a distance. We take refuge behind more rubble, this time from what used to be a post office. Batman looks around the rubble quickly to make sure we were not spotted, and then turns back to us ready to give directions.

We realize he is ready to give more than just directions as he pulls back his cowl. The dirt his face accumulated below his eyes is easily visible as the rest of his face was protected by his cowl, only glistening in sweat. His piercing blue eyes focused, determined, making his scowl tolerable.

Those eyes…

"It's time", he begins. "Everything we've ever trained for, everything that brought us together, everything that we believe. It comes down to this. What I need the three of you to do is cover me so I can get inside the complex. It's too late to save the world we once lived in, but what we can do is show Darkseid that the cost of taking our planet is his life."

We look at him in silence as he reapplies his cowl. However I choose not to remain silent.

"You will not last long by yourself, Bruce", I say to him.

Batman checks his supplies one last time before answering me.

"I only need to be alive long enough to get to Darkseid", he says. "After that, whatever happens…happens."

He told me all of this before. It had been forever since I had last wept, but the tears came easily during our night together. He told me his intentions for tonight, which he did not expect to survive. His main priority was to make sure that both Dick and Barbara survived this. He knew that they would be needed. With everything we have come to grips with over the past couple of weeks, I am not surprised that his two protégés are taking this as well as they are.

"Whatever it takes", Nightwing agrees with him.

Batgirl nods as Bruce re applies his cowl. Batman gives them a relieving nod himself.

"When I do what I have to do, I'll send a signal", he continues. "When you get it, that's when you head back."

Batman rises to his feet, still covered enough by the rubble to not be seen. We all do the same as he approaches Nightwing and Batgirl. He places a hand on each of their shoulders, eventually bringing them in for an embrace. He pulls back looking at Nightwing, who is struggling to keep his trained face showing. Batgirl is far too emotional from everything that has happened to care if she lets herself go. Tears could be seen from her eyes as she embraces Batman one last time.

The three of them whisper to one another, which ends with both Nightwing and Batgirl standing ready to do their duty. Batman then turns to me, walking briskly towards me. Before I can react, he applies his lips to mine.

We stand with our mouths together for a few moments before he backs away from me. His arms disappear under his cape as I am unable to form any words to say to him. He recognizes the difficulty I'm having and softens the look on his face.

"Believe…"

After he says his last word to me, he raises his arm and fires a grapple to the nearest standing building. We look at him as he takes one last look at us, the line already waiting to raise him.

"I love you", he says to the three of us.

With that, he is lifted into the night.

Our eyes stay fixed to sky where Batman disappeared from sight. I bring our attention back to the task at hand. The tank and soldiers are coming closer to our position. The ground begins to shake as the heavy-armored vehicle rumbles across the broken terrain of downtown Metropolis. I unsheathe my sword, still perfectly clean since I last polished it.

I intend to defile its cleanliness by ending the lives of as many of Darkseid's forces as possible.

"Nightwing", I say. "We need that tank."

Without missing a beat, Nightwing swiftly moves from hiding spot to hiding spot that the oncoming troops cannot detect him. His Mother Box should shield him from any sensors in the area. With Batman disabling our communicators, we have taken away any chance of us being tracked.

I watch Nightwing's movements, and they are nothing short of brilliant. Like Batman, no movement is wasted in his approach. His laid back attitude masks his true ability, making him a very formidable adversary. Hera, would I need years of training before I could ever move as fluid as he does.

Nightwing stands behind a slab of concrete as the tank comes within a few meters of him. Batgirl and I ready ourselves to aid him once he engages the target. I see Nightwing look back at us, raising his thumb and then disappearing from sight. The cloaking device Batman installed into their new suits is proving valuable.

Within seconds of Nightwing cloaking himself, we see the first of the troops to fall. Quickly, a second one falls. Their deaths finally have come to the attention of the rest of the troops around. That awareness comes with the death of two more soldiers as the final four raise their weapons. As one barks orders in confusion, another soldier falls. The three finally fall back towards the tank as the top hatch opens up. It remains open as the body of the operator is tossed out of it, landing in front of the troops. They turn to see a single sword that seems to be floating in the air, held by a mirage.

Within a few seconds, shots cold be heard as the final soldiers are claimed by that very sword.

Nightwing uncloaks and we see his sword, as well as himself, covered in the blood of our enemies. He emptily signals us over to him. Batgirl and I come from behind the rubble to quickly meet him. When I arrived next to him, I can see the blank look on his face. This young man has never taken a life, yet the act comes so easy to him, almost as though it were an art. He breathes heavily as I motion to Batgirl to inspect the dead. She herself is somewhat taken aback by the death lying around us.

"We will have no choice but to take more lives", I say to them. "You do not have to agree with your actions, but you will have to perform them if we are to succeed."

Nightwing still stands blankly as the blood continues to drip off of him and his blade. He whips the sword to his side to clean the blade as much as possible, then returns it to his sheathe.

"Let's clear these bodies", he says as he picks up the first of the corpses.

The three of us bury each of the bodies under the surrounding rubble as quickly as possible. We then regroup in front of the tank again, knowing that Batman will be waiting for us to create the diversion.

"Diana, can you drive this?" Nightwing asks. "You just need to drive straight back down the road. Barbara and I will stay cloaked until we engage any more troops. Take these."

He hands me one of the straps around his torso that contained explosives.

"When we get where need to be, fly out and toss these at the largest clump of baddies we see. The explosion should draw enough attention."

I take the strap and place it around my body. Nightwing then motions with his thumb for me to climb inside of the tank. The two jump on the outside of the tank, waiting for me to enter. I fly up and enter though the hatch, closing it behind me.

I forget how inferior minded Darkseid's soldiers can be, this tank is designed very closely to that of an automobile. I find the ignition, turning on the roaring engine. I feel the power that this vehicle possesses, which is nothing like piloting an aircraft though Earth's atmosphere. However, it will do.

My driver's training does not fail me as I am able to turn this tank around and drive toward the opposite direction.

As the demolished pavement below us crumbles from the weight of the tank, I cannot help but to wonder if I should have let him go alone. Perhaps I should have gone instead of him. Even with the strength amplifier his new suit possesses, I am still much stronger than he is. But I know enough that there are tasks that need to be done that only he can perform. I also know that Dick and Barbara would stand less of a chance to survive on their own.

With or without me, chances of survival are low.

I begin to see the bulk of Darkseid's army through the opening of the tank. I do not doubt that they see us as well, knowing that a tank was to return. They should also notice the troops that were once apart of the convoy are no longer around.

I'm am less than fifty yards away from the army, now is the time.

I open the hatch, but before I exit, I say a silent prayer for us and our cause. I then lift into the air with the strap of explosives in my hand. I hear Nightwing's voice telling Batgirl to scatter for cover. I'm identified immediately as ground troops begin to fire at me. I avoid the energy blasts easily as I activate one of the explosives. I hurl the strap at the largest concentration of troops.

To my amazement, the multiple explosions are larger than expected. This should give Bruce the cover that he needs. I draw my sword as the soldiers who survived the blast scatter about. I then see Nightwing and Batgirl appear out of nowhere as they both engage the remaining soldiers.

I admit to myself that there is a small sense of fear within me. My mind is focused on the task at hand. However my heart is focused on Bruce. Our night together was everything I thought it would be and everything I did not know it could be. To offer myself to him as I did was something I never believe myself to be able to do. He respected the nature of my offer, not because I chose to indulge on the physicality two people can enjoy.

Because we both admitted our true feelings for one another: love.

Love, oh Hera…

My love for him can survive this conflict and countless others just like it. Whether we succeed or fail, our love will drive us to our dying breaths. My purpose now is to provide my love with the distraction he needs to succeed in his mission.

I cried to him before I slept when he said he does not expect to survive our mission in either victory or defeat. I wept as though I had already lost him. He reminded me that he had not died just yet by continuing what we had been doing throughout the night. I woke up with a sense of pride for the man whom my heart belongs to. In life or in death, my love and his legacy will live forever.

If he should fall this day, my night with him will be worth every moment I exist from here on.

"Good bye, my love."

I wipe away a lingering tear and move to join Nightwing and Batgirl in battle.

* * *

The Batman lifts into the sky as those he loved are left behind on the ground below. Landing on the roof of a nearly demolished building, Batman begins to sprint as he makes his way to the compound of Darkseid.

Batman has always remained ever so cautious with the decisions he makes in his life. Whether it be the decision to avenge the lives of his parents, take in Dick or Tim and train them, or even revealing his identity to those he would call his allies. Batman always managed to keep a perfect handle on where his feelings lie.

However, his life has changed dramatically over the course of two weeks.

His homeworld, his very city, are decimated and controlled by the universal overlord Darkseid. Most of his allies of the Justice League have fallen during this conflict, along with his father figure and the youngest of his partners in Gotham. Even a longtime ally in Superman has fallen to an extant, now an enemy under the thumb of Darkseid.

Batman makes his way from rooftop to rooftop as the last couple of weeks still play out in his head. Barbara and Dick have both stayed alive to this point, fleeing to Themiscrya with himself and Diana.

Diana…

Perhaps the most insignificant overall change to the world at large is his admitted feelings towards her. He always felt there was something between them. The subject even came out in the open once or twice, where he avoided any possible questions or comments fairly well.

But with the current events of his world, any possible distraction Diana could ever cause him was irrelevant.

Now, Batman fights to end the reign of Darkseid. In order to fully succeed, he knows he must take Darkseid's life. To Batman, he is a little surprised that he has been able to accept the idea of taking his life, or any life that comes between them. His disciplined mind prepares him for every possible scenario for success. The necessity of taking lives is too great for any personal objections he may have.

The survival of the human race is at stake. Batman knew that the remaining humans on Earth had little to no chance in surviving the month if Darkseid were to keep his stranglehold on the world. Batman's only hope is to kill him and allow his contingency plan to finish off the rest of his forces.

In his mind, Batman has already won.

The war is over.

The death of Darkseid ensures no one else suffers as Earth has suffered. Batman will let God judge his decision to be Darkseid's judge, jury and executioner. Regardless of what God's view would be towards his actions, Batman has made his decision regardless of what his judgment will be.

Batman never had much faith in the Lord to begin with.

Leaping onto another rooftop, Batman sees two Parademons resting on top of the building. Wasting no time, Batman brings out his sword and swiftly moves in for the kill. As he approaches, the two Parademons turn to him, however very late. With a precision that a master assassin wishes he possessed on his best day, Batman slices the throats of both of them without losing stride. The cuts were so clean that blood failed to stain his sword, allowing him to sheathe it without cleaning it.

The two Parademons fall to the ground as Batman makes for the next rooftop. He now hears the explosion behind him that the others were to make. Batman stops in his path to look over the ledge of the building he now stands on. On the ground, swarms of uncoordinated troops scatter towards the blast area.

"Perfect timing", Batman whispers to himself.

Wasting no further time, Batman turns to continue his sprint. The next few rooftops were supposed to be guarded, but the diversion created by his comrades has caused the entire occupied area of downtown Metropolis to go into a panic. Batman can even hear commanding officers on the ground shout sporadic orders to the poorly undisciplined soldiers.

"Pathetic…"

Batman now arrives on top of the closest standing building to Darkseid's compound.

The distance between them was easily five hundred yards of uneven, open terrain. Batman takes a moment to bring up his map to see how the others were fairing. According to his map, they were holding their own…and then some.

Relieved, Batman returns his map generator to his belt and works on his Mother Box strapped to his right arm. He makes sure that he is still shielded from electronic and telepathic detection before moving on. He also checks the power source of his suit, which is comfortably at ninety-nine percent. He then realizes that the shield that once stood around the complex was no longer activated.

"Good…"

Batman now activates the cloaking device in his suit, rendering him invisible to the naked eye. He leaps off of the building as the light from near-burning fires fail to find him. He hits the ground moving, sprinting across the terrain as countless soldiers march in the opposite direction within a mere hundred yards away.

Batman makes time easily as the uneven earth crumbles underneath each step. The complex gets closer with every heavy breath he takes, also the sounds of a heavy battle continuing in the distance. As he came closer to the complex, he could see a small platoon of soldiers standing guard.

No problem.

Batman leaps into the air as the soldiers on the ground are completely oblivious to his presence. They become aware as each one of them finds themselves on the ground bleeding from large wounds from either their necks or their stomachs.

As one of the soldiers was dying on the ground, Batman reached down for the cardkey to enter the door of the complex. With an ease that aroused a suspicion within him, Batman entered through the door.

As the steal door closed behind him, Batman found himself in a large room that was nearly the size of his cave. Batman's sensors picked up someone flying above him, hovering in place.

"I'm amazed, Bruce. You actually went through with this."

The denigrating voice above him belonged to the man who founded the Justice League along with him.

Superman.

"I know you're there, Bruce", Superman spoke again. "I can hear your breathing."

Superman lowered towards the ground as Batman deactivated the cloaking device. Batman looked into Superman's eyes to see if he could recognize any trace of the man he once knew. He questioned if this were the true Superman or one of the clones developed.

"Are you the real deal?" Batman asked almost mockingly. "Or are you one of the copies?"

Superman smiled and folded his arms. His black cape flowed darker than Batman's ever could.

"Homegrown Kryptonian", Superman answered.

Batman's face returned to his stern, usual look.

"Clark, I know you're under control", Batman began. "It's not the first time Darkseid had you under his control, let me help you fight…"  
"Control?" Superman huffed. "You're mistaken Bruce."

Superman gave a look that unsettled Batman greatly.

"What do you mean?" Batman said as a truth was finally revealing itself after so many years.

"I did not come to Earth as an orphan sent away to survive the destruction of Krypton, I came to claim Earth in the name of Krypton."

Batman gave Superman a bewildered look.

"Krypton was not a planet set on discovery and science, Bruce", Superman continued. "We were conquerors."

Batman continued to be confused.

"True, we were very gifted with science and technology, but our main purpose was to obtain planets by force to further the Kryptonian race throughout the galaxy. With our knowledge and abilities, we were destined to rule. I was created by Jor-El, the great scientist who developed Kryptonian infants with the genetic capability to absorb energy from different suns and transfer them into tremendous power."

Batman was left unsettled as Superman smirked.

"It can't be…" Batman says.

"It's true, Bruce", Superman says. "Krypton was once a mighty and feared planet. The great Green Lantern Corps with their bureaucracy even shined us a blind eye. We were good at what we did, Bruce. We even developed a weapon and sent it to the deepest pockets of space to gather data and destroy anything that could pose a threat to us."

"Brainiac…" Batman growled.

Superman smiled.

"After each infant is created, they are sent to distant planets to conquer them as they grow into adulthood."

"Why didn't you destroy us when you had the chance, Clark", Batman scowled.

Superman's tone dropped to a menacing baritone.

"Because a planet that defeated the Kryptonian sent to it decided to attack Krypton and completely destroy it. I was en route to Earth as an emergency abort signal was sent to my pod. The signal also disabled my life support system, causing my pod to crash land on Earth and cursing me amnesia.

"When Darkseid captured me the first time, he was able to return most of my memory. Darkseid knew of my true origin, hoping to turn me into his weapon against his enemies. For a brief time, he succeeded. However, the recall I experienced was only temporary. It took my most recent capture by Darkseid to truly restore my memory."

"I take it one of your fakes is leading Darkseid's army across Europe", Batman said not asking.

"Darkseid's army..?" Superman slowly asked as his arms unfolded.

His bellowing laugh filled the large space the two stood in. Batman felt his stomach turn with what this new-lunatic could be implying. However, Superman's laughter was replaced with a threatening stare as his eyes began to glow.

"I killed that worthless slime the day you disappeared from Gotham, Bruce", Superman said. "You mean MY army."

Superman suddenly fired his heat vision at Batman, who was protected by an energy shield generated by Mother Box. Superman moved quicker than a blink of an eye as his fist connects with the energy field, still able to send Batman flying thirty yards back. Batman easily flipped in the air and landed on his feat, protected from the blow. However, as he turned upright, Superman was in his face again.

"My army is positioned in Metropolis and Gotham, Bruce", Superman said as his hand found its way around Batman's throat. "I was able to simulate my army marching over the world to any satellite attempting to relay information.

"The orders I gave were to wait for you and the others to resurface before we made ANY moves. You were too much of a risk to keep alive as we moved forward with the purging of this planet. The rest of the world is on high military alert as we have completely exterminated all human life in the western hemisphere."

Superman's grip is beginning to weaken the shield around Batman's throat.

"When we've killed the rest of the Justice League, we are going to take this planet", Superman says sounding just like Darkseid.

Batman, in true fashion, will not let Superman have the only words at this moment. He was going to try to use words to bait Superman to do something stupid.

You can take the overlord out of Kansas…

"What's the matter, Clark?" Batman barely could say, but managed to smile. "Can't set up your intergalactic boot camp on Krypton?"

Superman's face went blank for a brief moment before firing into a rage. Superman slammed Batman to the ground as he held his grip around Batman's throat. Superman brought him to his feet, ready to throw another thunderous punch at Batman's stomach.

Batman practiced his next maneuver with some success during his time on Themiscrya, hoping it would transfer into battle. As Superman threw another punch towards him, Batman caught his arm using both the amplified strength from his new suit and the force given off by the energy field from Mother Box.

With success, Batman momentarily matched Superman's strength and twisted his arm around and drove an elbow to the back of his former friend's elbow. Superman screamed in pain as his arm now bent backwards, his elbow severely dislocated. Falling to his knees in pain, Superman clutched at the limp right arm that once was nearly indestructible. Batman was hoping that move would work, also hoped that some of the Kryptonite lined in his suit would help him out as well.

"It's over, Clark", Batman said as he unsheathed his sword and brought it to his side. "Get this army off of Earth NOW, or I'll kill you."

Superman's face tried its best to smirk at Batman as he looked up.

"Do you think death scares me?"

The Kryptonite in Batman's suit was working perfectly as Superman's motor reflexes began to slow considerably. Even the pain from his arm was making him dreary. Batman knelt over and lifted Superman to his feet with his free arm. Batman steadied Superman to his feet as Superman's eyes were beginning to lose focus from Kryptonite.

"I know death doesn't scare you, Clark" Batman said as his hand reached into his belt.

Batman's hand came out with a syringe and plunged the tip of it into the weakened flesh of Superman. Batman pushed down the plunger as Superman's dazed smirk began to fade into a look of horror as she slumped to his knees.

"But I'm hoping this does, old friend."

Since his first days as Gotham's protector, Batman's main weapon against his enemies was fear. Now, his enemies do not believe in the myth of the Batman, nor do they fear him. The man kneeling before him, who he even once called an ally and a friend, was someone who would never fear him.

Batman knows that in order to succeed in gaining what he wants, the methods he has always employed would be needed. And with the help of liquefied Kryptonite and a serum developed by the late Jonathan Crane, Batman now has the power of fear over Superman.

Superman's screams of terror are accompanied by the sounds of his clones bursting through the walls of the empty hall. It appears that the number of Superman clones Batman remembered being has greatly multiplied. Batman now stood in a room as nearly fifty clones hovered around him and Superman, who was still screaming for his life and twirling on the ground.

Batman knows that he will be killed before he is able to stop at least three of the clones. He had hoped to end this conflict without the use of mass genocide, but now Batman knows he has no choice.

Absolutely no choice…

Dropping his sword to the ground, Batman unwrapped the Mother Box from his arm and quickly sent the signal to Diana, Dick and Barbara for them to begin their retreat. If they remained in the city, or on the North American continent, they would be killed.

"This ends now…"

Batman uses his free hand to drop gas pellets the ground then quickly lifts into the air with the jet-propelled boots. He presses a button on his Mother Box as the Superman clones fly towards him. A light engulfs the room as Batman's life flashes before his eyes. With the way the world has turned for the worse and even as the loss of his parents still hurts, Bruce Wayne is left with only one final thought in his mind, body and soul.

"Diana…"

Then Batman loses the feeling in is his arm.

I hear the retreat signal go off earlier than expected.

Hera, something has gone wrong.

"Now..?" I hear Batgirl nearly scream as she dispatches another of Darkseid's useless drones. "It can't be!"

The three of us have battled many of the fodder in Darkseid's army. We know that his most decorated soldiers march across Asia and Europe as we speak. During this time, we have awaited for the time to come when Batman had planned for us to retreat.

But the signal has come far sooner than expected.

"Let's go", I hear Nightwing say.

He and Batgirl rocket into the sky as I follow behind them. Nightwing opens a boom tube for us to fly in, but he stops halfway before we enter.

"But first we're making a stop!" He screams into the wind. "Open the way back to Themiscrya, Babs!"

He flies towards the opening again as Batgirl opens another boom tube. Batgirl and I fly toward the new opening as Nightwing flies toward the one he had opened. He enters briefly, and then returns to our sight with a very upset Batman in his arms.

"Go!" they both yell to us.

Batgirl and I enter quickly as the paradise of Themiscrya surrounds us once again. We land on the sandy beach as the boom tube remains open. After a few moments that felt like centuries, both Nightwing and Batman enter just as Batgirl closes the opening.

They land on the beach next to us as Batman falls to his knees, removing his cowl. He vomits onto the sand as tears are streaming down his face at an alarming rate. We all know what he intended to do, but what he was not expecting to do was live with his actions afterwards.

Silence takes us all as the sound of the beach and Bruce's sobs could be heard. I struggle with what to do. I want to run to his side and comfort him, but I do not know if that is what he wants right now.

I go with my own instinct.

"Bruce..?" I say as I lean towards him with my hand.

"Don't. Touch. Me."

I stop as his voice growls at me. He quickly rises, avoiding eye contact with any of us, and walks towards the temporary campsite he had set up. I watch him walk as he clutches at his right arm, it is wounded. I turn back to both Dick and Barbara with their masks also removed.

I should have known better.

The look on their faces showed both relief and sorrow. They too began to walk and passed me without saying a word. After everything we had just experienced together…

"What?" I desperately ask them as they walk away from me. "I do not understand…"

"Just go where you need to be now, Diana", Dick says not bothering to look back. "He'll come to you."

So, Dick and Barbara are finding the solace they need in one another as they head for their tent. Bruce is obviously going to take time to come to grips with his feelings. But I will wait. I will wait for him when he is ready, I cannot force him to come to me. He must do it on his own.

I will wait.

* * *

"You never came to me that night", I say to Bruce as I finally say something.

I have been watching him go through his belongings in his decimated cave. Trying to find the right thing to say, I decided to get to the point.

Something I hope he still respected.

"I'm sorry", he beats me to the words. "It was not the best time for me."

Bruce turns to face me, his face with a full beard now. I can even see hints of grey in it, and he noticed that I noticed.

"It implies wisdom", he says to me with a smile.

I smile with relief.

"Then there is definite room for growth", I say.

He is wearing the uniform worn by teams sent by Europe to help the relief caused by both Superman's forces and by the anti-matter bomb Bruce detonated in Metropolis. He had donated his entire fortune that remained overseas to help with the effort. Now the name Wayne will forever be attached to a relief charity that is run publicly.

"I hear Dick and Barbara are proud parents", he asks me.

"Yes, they are" I answer. "Tim is a beautiful baby boy. I fed and burped him before I came here."

Bruce smiled as the grey hairs stuck out even more on his face and even a few on his head.

"I'm glad you've got some experience", Bruce says. "I'm hungry myself."

We laugh lightly together as I try to return to a serious tone.

"They can't wait to see you again, Bruce", I say. "It's been five years since they last even heard from you. You wouldn't believe the red tape I had to go through just to find you."

Bruce must like smiling these days, he keeps on doing it.

"Well, we travel all over the hemisphere", he says. "I imagine it's not very easy to keep track of us. But it is for a good cause. Plus, I get to go camping some more. You know how much I love doing that"

I laugh as I take in the fact that he has lost considerable weight. The sacrifices of being a relief worker are great. It explains why there are so few these days. I help out as much as possible while running the Justice League Europe with Nightwing.

It is very rewarding work.

"I came to tell you that whenever you are ready…"

"Diana", Bruce says as his hand comes up and his smile disappearing. "Don't. I haven't worn the cowl in seven years. Right now I'm doing things without the pressure, and it's the best feeling I've had in a long time."

I keep smiling.

"Good", I say as I lean in and give him a kiss on his dirty cheek.

I move to his ear so he can hear me clearly.

"I was referring to you and I."

With the ungodly smells he encounters daily, I know he appreciates the smell I'm allowing him to take in right now. My arms wrap around him for one final hug before I go. I'm surprised to feel his arms around me almost as quickly.

"This must be the shoulder you burped baby Grayson on", he whispers in my ear.

I bring my head back as he smirks at me and I raise my eyebrow to him.

"It is", I answer and back away from him. "Maybe you'll enjoy something similar to that when you are ready. But remember, I can wait forever. You, on the other hand, cannot."

Bruce strokes his beard, his beauty glowing brightly behind the dirty exterior.

"I'll definitely be wiser then", he says.

We smile at each other for a few more moments before I slowly rise into the air.

"Till then, Bruce", I say as I raise more. "Mother says hello."

I rise into the sky just as I hear him say one final thing in return.

"Tell her I loved souvlaki."

Hera, I love that blasted man.


End file.
